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PHILADELPHIA -- Joey Votto has been diagnosed with a left distal quadriceps strain and the organization will meet again Friday night after the game against the Phillies to determine the next step for the former MVP, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Price said Votto had been dealing with knee pain for the last two-to-three weeks, but only in Thursday's game did he feel like it was an issue on the field.

Votto didn't travel with the team to Philadelphia, staying in Cincinnati as the team went on to start a three-game series against the Phillies.

The Reds received word of his diagnosis late Friday afternoon, and Price then briefed reporters.

"I don't think the feeling initially was that it was going to be something that was chronic or long-term debilitating," Price said. "It is a collective sigh of relief that it's not anything serious, it looks like all the structural stuff in the knee is great, intact. That's the positive at this point."

Because of the roster moves that had been made over the last couple of weeks, the Reds will still have a five-man position-player bench and a regular seven-man bullpen. The team currently has just four starting pitchers on its roster, but that will change by Sunday, when Tony Cingrani is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start for the Reds against the Phillies.

The Reds activated Devin Mesoraco from the 15-day disabled list before Friday's game and designated left-hander Jeff Francis for assignment to make room for Mesoraco. Reliever Nick Christiani, who was the 26th man for Thursday's second game of the doubleheader, was returned to Louisville.

Brayan Pena is starting for the Reds at first base on Friday. It is his first career start at first base, but he has appeared in four games at first base in the big leagues and 23 in the minors.